1. Field of the Invention
The field of the invention is package carriers for transporting packages on the trunk of automobiles or the tail gate of utility vehicles.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There are a numerous devices for securing packages to the outside of automobiles and utility vehicles. Many of these devices utilize a structure which is permanently attached to the vehicle, such as rails or tracks attached to the roof or trunk lid, to which packages can be tied with rope or elasticized bungee chords. Others include removable storage cases which are mounted on the roof or trunk lid, including removable containers, such as the carrier disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,050,614 which comprises a storage container which can be mounted on a trunk lid with hooks which are operatively associated with the front end of the container and with side hooks which are operatively associated with lateral straps which help hold down the container, but not attached on the rear end. Another removable container is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,288,003 which is a container designed to fit on roofs of aerodynamically streamlined cars which comprises a container which is secured by straps which are affixed to the top of the container and include novel hooks which secure through the car doors.
A disadvantage of trunk top carriers which include a container or a fixed structure is that the size of the container is effectively limited to by the dimensions of the unobstructed flat space available on the top horizontal portion of the trunk. There is no standard shape or size for a trunk lid. The length of the flat horizontal surface (the dimension starting at the hinged opening of the trunk and ending where the lid bends down) varies from ten inches or less to several feet. Many of today's compact and sub-compact cars have smaller sized trunk lids. The problem of fitting a container on a trunk lid is further confounded by the popular trend of placing an aerodynamic obstruction (often called a spoiler) at the end of the horizontal surface of the trunk lid thus reducing the useable length still further. Thus, while it is possible to make a "one size fits all" carrier which includes a container or a structure which is designed to fit on the horizontal trunk surface, such a device would necessarily be very small and would not make good use of the space available on larger vehicles.
The great variety of trunk mounted package carrier designs available for cars is good evidence of the utility of such devices, however it is apparent that there is not a suitable portable carrier for smaller cars due to the small size of the available flat space on the trunk lid. Yet the need for such a device is greatest on small cars because the carrying capacity inside of the trunk is so small. It is also clear that a readily removable device would be very desirable, since most such devices are used relatively infrequently.
There is a need for a package carrier which would be suitable for use on a wide range of vehicle sizes irrespective of the trunk lid dimensions while still being able to carry a large package.
There is a need for a package carrier that could be quickly attached when needed and removed when not in use, and which could be rolled up into a compact package for stowage when not in use.
There is a need for a package carrier which could be efficiently used on a large variety of vehicle designs, irrespective of trunk proportions.